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All about the last news !!Fri, 10 Aug 2018 14:51:03 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8A Week in the Life of a Working Online MBA Studenthttp://allviralnews.club/?p=36
http://allviralnews.club/?p=36#respondMon, 25 Dec 2017 17:07:15 +0000http://bad-drivers.club/?p=36By day, Quinn Woodard Jr. is an electrical engineer at Chevron Corp. By night, he’s an online student pursuing his MBA at the Indiana University—Bloomington Kelley School of Business, hoping to accelerate his career and develop new skills.
The Bakersfield, California, resident usually wakes around 5 or 5:30 a.m. and prepares to head to the office or drive to the site he’s assigned that day. Woodard doesn’t have much time to study during the morning or afternoon – that’s typically reserved for after work a few evenings each week.
When he returns home, Woodard might attend a live class session through videoconferencing, work on group projects virtually with classmates or complete other assignments.
“I go pretty late sometimes, just depending on when things are due,” says the 28-year-old, who also plans to earn a master’s in entrepreneurship and innovation through a dual degree program at Kelley. “And then I kind of recycle for the rest of the week and plan out what I have to do.”
Currently juggling two classes, Woodard devotes several hours on weekends to catching up on reading.
For online MBA students, juggling a full-time job and an education is typical given the flexibility of online education, experts say. Many select this route to either move up in their field or change careers.
William Christiansen, MBA program director and finance chair at Florida State University, which offers an online program, says because online MBA students come from various backgrounds, including business, their familiarity with different course subjects varies. That influences how much time they devote each week to classes.
“Time management is the key to success with this,” says Tara Lall, an online MBA student at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. “And I think that looks very different for everybody.”
Regardless, prospective online students shouldn’t expect a light course load. Sherry Dunbar, an online MBA student at the University of Maryland Smith School of Business and a senior director of global scientific affairs at the biotechnology engineering company Luminex Corp, spends at least 20 hours a week on her program, she says.
Many online MBA students say they adhere to strict weekly calendars – especially if they travel for work, as many do. Take 35-year-old Diana Sharpe, an online MBA student at FSU. As a business development manager for L’Oreal, Sharpe often meets customers over a 180-mile span from morning through dinnertime.
Enrolled in one course this semester, Sharpe typically blocks off a night or two each week to study at the local library or in her hotel, she says – plus at least half a day most weekends, depending on her workload. She also sections off time to spend with her three-year-old daughter.

“I could easily be dropping the ball on any one – either family, or coursework, or work,” she says. “But when I dedicate specific hours to each, I find it just much more manageable and easier to be 100 percent dedicated to what I’m doing at the time.”

That’s simpler to do in certain situations than others, online students say. Lall, the USC student, says that by juggling her education with a full-time job in applications marketing, she didn’t have much time to exercise – so she purchased a stationary bike desk to use while watching recorded lectures.
Whether an online MBA program requires students to virtually attend classes at predesignated times varies with the program, experts say – something to consider when looking into an option’s flexibility.
Sharpe, for instance, transferred from an online program that had such requirements, to FSU, which was more self-paced and worked better for her schedule, she says.
Despite their busy lives, many online MBA students still find time to network with classmates – a crucial step to build a business career. Lauren Crawley, an online student pursuing an MBA and a master’s in business analytics in a dual degree program at Kelley, says some online student groups hold regular networking events; one geared toward women in business, for example, is hosting a virtual happy hour.
“It’s just an integrated, regular part of daily life,” the 30-year-old says of networking.
Many programs also have in-person requirements or opportunities to travel – another factor a prospective student should consider, experts say. Woodard, the Kelley student, studied business in Cuba.
Dunbar, the Maryland student, says she used vacation time at work to attend a three-day residency on campus. Students participate in community-building activities and complete an introductory course.
She also says what she learns each week in class is almost instantly applicable to her job, and vice versa.
“It’s kind of uncanny that something will come up in a meeting at work, and then we end up discussing that in class the next night,” she says.
source usnews.co

]]>http://allviralnews.club/?feed=rss2&p=360Choose the Right Online Program to Boost Your Resumehttp://allviralnews.club/?p=34
http://allviralnews.club/?p=34#respondMon, 25 Dec 2017 17:06:49 +0000http://bad-drivers.club/?p=34Whether you are looking to change careers entirely or want a promotion, an online credential can help you achieve your goals.
Finding the right online program can be daunting. Instead of just going to your local college and seeing what’s available, online education offers so many choices. The challenge is finding the program that will give you an edge in the job search.
As you evaluate online credentials, ask yourself these four questions to find a program the prepares you academically and can move your resume to the top of the pile.
1. What kind of credential are you looking for? Figure out what kind of program will serve you best in your quest for advancement. Are you changing fields entirely, or looking to just build skills? You may not need to pursue an advanced degree if a certificate is enough – at least for now – to get you that better position.
A professional certificate or non-credit badge can be great for building skills, or maybe just getting your feet wet – but be certain that your potential or current employer will value it. Is the certificate advanced enough? Will having this credential really make you stand out?
2. Is the program accredited? Accreditation is proof to a prospective employer that you attended a legitimate program. Many online programs advertise their accreditation online, but not all types of accreditation are equal.
Regionally accredited schools, such as those in the Big Ten, typically have greater name recognition. Nationally accredited schools, on the other hand, are usually smaller, lesser-known and possibly less reputable.
There are also organizations that accredit specific academic programs, such as the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. A degree from a professionally accredited program may also be necessary for licensure and serves as proof to your prospective boss that you attended a top-notch program.
3. What is the school’s reputation? Some online programs are more reputable than others. Unlike a “brick-and-mortar” university, visiting the campuses of online programs is difficult or impossible.
Instead, look online for reviews, consumer reports and news stories that might reveal a particular online university’s reputation, whether it’s good or bad. Also check out the school’s official and unofficial social media presence, reading the posts and perspectives of online students themselves – not just the school’s marketing office.
4. What will you get for your money? An online degree is more than the coursework. Services such as academic advising, tutoring and career services are valuable and should be designed specifically for online students. These services are critical to your success in networking, completing the credential, and making the most of it once you graduate, which includes presenting it on a resume.
Does the institution offer math, statistics or writing support available online 24/7? Are alumni networking and career services available to online graduates in your job market? Not all online universities offer these programs – be sure to evaluate all aspects the online program and university you are considering.
The takeaway: Considering how your online program will be viewed by employers is critical. Boost your resume by choosing the appropriate credential and assessing factors such as accreditation, cost and reputation. The right credential from the right program should bring you a good return on your investment and position you to advance professionally.
source usnews.co
]]>http://allviralnews.club/?feed=rss2&p=340International Students: Explore a Sample College Budgethttp://allviralnews.club/?p=32
http://allviralnews.club/?p=32#respondMon, 25 Dec 2017 17:06:31 +0000http://bad-drivers.club/?p=32Tuition, textbooks, room and board – there are lots of expenses that come with studying at a U.S. college or university.

Prospective international students can get a better idea of just how much a U.S. undergraduate education will cost by creating a budget as part of their college search and planning process.

In order to create a realistic budget, students need to factor in educational costs, living expenses and personal expenses, says Alfred Boll, EducationUSA branch chief at the U.S. Department of State.

[Check out five questions to ask financial aid counselors at U.S. colleges.]

“For example, if a student is addicted to Netflix and wants to have that, they need to build that into a budget,” Boll says.

Students may also want to set aside a little money in their budget for unforeseen costs.

“Dozens of unexpected expenses arise on weekly basis,” said Misael Morales, a sophomore at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma who hails from Venezuela, via email. Examples he gave included electric bills and furniture for his on-campus apartment.

Students can tap several resources for advice during their budgeting process. For starters, EducationUSA advisers located all over the world can assist students who have questions regarding the cost of a U.S. education, says Boll.

Another great way to get advice is to reach out to current or former international students, says Judith Brooke, director of international student and scholar services at the Florida Institute of Technology. “That would be the best resource ever,” she says, “to speak directly to somebody who’s been through it, who’s lived here as a student and is aware of all the ins and outs.”

Also, there are ways international students can get help paying for college. Some U.S. schools offer robust financial aid packages to foreign students, though many institutions only award aid to U.S. citizens or legal residents. Scholarships for international students are out there too.

[Learn the dos and don’ts of applying for scholarships as an international student.]

Additionally, international students may be able to get part-time jobs on campus to earn a little extra spending money.

However, a position on campus is not guaranteed. At the Florida Institute of Technology – where 33 percent of the student body was international in 2015-2016 – the demand for on-campus jobs outweighs the supply, says Brooke.

Prospective international students can use the sample budget below as a starting point for their own financial planning. The budget includes average cost data for the 2016-2017 school year from the National Universities ranked within the top 100 by U.S. News. In all, 102 schools were included because of a four-way tie for the No. 99 spot.

The average cost of tuition and fees includes data from all schools ranked within the top 100. For public universities, the cost of tuition and fees for out-of-state students was used. The other expense categories include data from most, but not all of these schools.

If a prospective student values face-to-face interaction with a professor, online learning likely isn’t a fit. (SAM EDWARDS/GETTY IMAGES)
When I first decided to enroll in an online bachelor’s degree program three years ago, almost every person I told had a different reaction. These ranged from “Good for you!” to “Are you sure you can handle that while working full time?” and the ever-present “I could never do that.”

Now, as I approach the completion of my program, every time this topic comes up in conversation it seems like many friends, family and co-workers who are already living busy lives feel that online learning is something that might work well for others but not for them personally.

This reaction always seemed odd to me. In my experience, the online learning environment has allowed me to thrive in ways I was never able to in a traditional classroom. I will concede, however, that online learning is definitely quite a departure from the educational experience most students are used to.

From my experience and the conversations I’ve had with others, here are three signs that online education might not be right for you.

1. You aren’t self-disciplined. For me, the flexibility that online education offers has been a huge factor in my success, but it also requires greater self-motivation. There isn’t a professor at the front of the class to keep you enthused about what you’re learning.

Balancing a full-time job with an education, I wouldn’t have been able to stick to a strict schedule of showing up at a lecture hall multiple times each week. Online education forces you to decide on your own when and where you do your work, within the general structure of the course. For some, this lack of a regimented schedule could be a negative, but it allowed me to thrive given my other obligations.

2. Time management isn’t your strength. Most of the online courses I’ve enrolled in have very clear and strict schedules provided the first week of the course, but these usually just outline due dates for assignments. To be successful on a weekly basis, you have to carve out time to complete assignments and stick to your plan.

Every Sunday night, I would look at the assignments due for the upcoming week in each of my online classes. The sheer volume of work can be intimidating, especially as discussion boards and other assignments might replace participation credits you would receive for simply showing up to a traditional course. The only way to manage this effectively is with strong time management.

[Discover four time management tips for online students.]

3. Face-to-face time with instructors is crucial to your learning. In online courses, most of your learning will come from textbooks, articles, videos and online labs, among other materials that have been curated by an instructor but are self-directed.

For me, this meant that if I didn’t understand a concept, I would either have to start a back-and-forth email chain with my instructor or, more often, extend my search to the internet. These methods are definitely a departure from the immediate responses and face-to-face conversations afforded by on-campus education. If you’re not able to be self-directed at least some of the time, and you consistently need a professor’s direct guidance in person, online learning may not be the right path.

The takeaway: Online learning places a tremendous amount of responsibility on a student. If you thrive in an environment of personal responsibility, can stay organized and can juggle multiple assignments at once, then online learning might be a great fit.

]]>http://allviralnews.club/?feed=rss2&p=3005 Questions to Ask About Networking in Online MBAshttp://allviralnews.club/?p=28
http://allviralnews.club/?p=28#respondMon, 25 Dec 2017 17:05:37 +0000http://bad-drivers.club/?p=28Whether employers, classmates, faculty or alumni, connections are crucial in landing a job.
That’s why, experts say, prospective online MBA students need to factor networking opportunities into their decision of where to enroll.
“The education is absolutely critical, but coming away with a strong network and some of the professional relationships that you develop in the MBA program is certainly very important as well,” says 34-year-old Dustan Atkinson, an online student at the University of Florida Hough Graduate School of Business.
Before applying, the Atlanta resident asked Hough staff what types of opportunities were available, he says. He was impressed, he says, at how often students networked at in-person events and during classes.
Business is a field where connections are an essential part of the job search, experts say. And online students cite career aspirations as their primary motivator for pursuing a degree, one 2016 survey found.
“In an online program, students are going to be forced to take an active role in their networking in a way that’s a little bit different from sort of the more passive everyday networking that happens when you’re physically connected and in class with other students,” says John Gresley, assistant dean and director of UF’s MBA program.
Students might research networking opportunities in potential online programs by contacting a career center, browsing websites or speaking with current and past students. In the process, here are five questions experts suggest they ask.
1. How often do students in the online program interact? Much of the networking in online MBA programs takes place in the virtual classroom, experts say, particularly during group projects. Students might communicate on discussion boards and through videoconferencing.
“Typically, people conceive of online programs in the learning community to rather be individually focused. But in order for it to be effective in enabling students to achieve their career objectives, it needs to be a community,” says Charla Griffy-Brown, a professor of information systems and technology management at the Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business, which has an online MBA program.
Many of these programs also have in-person residency requirements where students engage face to face. That’s the case at the Indiana University—Bloomington Kelley School of Business, where online students congregate on campus for two one-week periods throughout the program.
2. Who are the typical students in the program? To gauge the quality of a program’s network, prospective online MBA students can also look into the types of students who enroll: their professional backgrounds and industries, for instance, and where they’re based, says Joan Brett, associate dean of graduate programs at the Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business, which offers an online MBA.
“When you compare an online program to, let’s say, an evening or weekend, you’re going to have way more diversity,” she says. “It’s important because one of the things we tell students, and that students also find, is that one of the biggest networking opportunities are with students in their class.”
3. Does the program also offer local networking events? Many online MBA students prefer to network in person rather than or along with virtually, experts say. Therefore, it’s essential to determine whether programs host career fairs and other face-to-face events nationwide.
UF’s Hough business school, for example, holds networking meetups for on-campus and online MBA students in major Florida cities each year, Gresley says – and sometimes even across the country.
“If we can get critical mass where we’ve got students, we do our best to bring them together,” he says.
4. Are there opportunities to connect with business leaders? Prospective students should understand whether there are opportunities to speak with alumni or employees in the field who can provide advice, says Griffy-Brown of Graziadio. Professors or career services might be a good way to start.
Ray Aflakian, an online MBA student at Graziadio, says a professor connected him with a founder and CEO of a startup that evolved into a larger company.
“He stayed on it and made sure to make it happen,” says the 29-year-old, who’s starting his own business. “That conversation was pivotal for me.”
5. Does the program advise students on how to network? Because many online students plan to change careers or advance in their current company, they might want to determine whether their program teaches them how to effectively build connections.
At ASU’s Carey business school, the career center holds webinars for students about how to manage the career process, Brett says. And at Kelley, online MBA students complete a required course that trains them to successfully network, says Terrill Cosgray, executive director of online programs at Kelley.
“Networking is actually in some ways more effective in an online program in that everyone is currently working,” Cosgray says. “They understand the value and need for networking.
source unsews.co
]]>http://allviralnews.club/?feed=rss2&p=280Designed To Meet The Needs Of Today’s Working, Master Degree Online GCU & Kellerhttp://allviralnews.club/?p=26
http://allviralnews.club/?p=26#respondMon, 25 Dec 2017 17:05:15 +0000http://bad-drivers.club/?p=26University of California system. UCLA is one of the two flagship universities in the UC system (alongside UC Berkeley). It offers 337 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines.With an approximate enrollment of 29,000 undergraduate and 13,000 graduate students, UCLA is the university with the largest enrollment in the state of California[19] and the most applied to university in the world with over 105,000 applications for Fall 2014. Goals and that’s not all… The university is organized into five undergraduate colleges, seven professional schools, and four professional health science schools.
he undergraduate colleges are the College of Letters and Science; Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied SIt’s all about your future… Invest in yourself! University of California,in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1919, it is the second-oldest campus of thecience (HSSEAS); School of the Arts and Architecture; School of Theater, Film, and Television; and School of Nursing. Fifteen Nobel laureates, one Fields Medalist, and three Turing Award winners have been faculty, researchers, or alumni. Among the current faculty members, 52 have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, 28 to the National Academy of Engineering, 39 to the Institute of Medicine, and 124 to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The university was elected to the Association of American Universities in 1974. Successful and powerful is how I can define it. UCLA student-athletes compete as the Bruins in the Pacific-12 Conference. The Bruins have won 125 national championships, including 112 NCAA team championships. UCLA student-athletes have won 250 Olympic medals: 125 gold, 65 silver and 60 bronze. The Bruins have competed in every Olympics since 1920 with one exception (1924), and have won a gold medal in every Olympics that the United States has participated in. Make a good choice and give a unique chance to yourself!
]]>http://allviralnews.club/?feed=rss2&p=2603 Tips for Planning to Take on Your Child’s College Debthttp://allviralnews.club/?p=22
http://allviralnews.club/?p=22#respondMon, 25 Dec 2017 17:04:21 +0000http://bad-drivers.club/?p=22Online education is transforming the way students learn.

One 2016 survey found that online undergraduate students are an average of 29 years old and online graduate students are an average of 33, reflecting both the popularity and effectiveness of online programs to help adults meet educational and career goals. Online education is well-suited to older students often balancing education with work, family and other obligations.

[Discover a week in the life of a working online MBA student.]

Here are four reasons online education works well for working adults.

1. Course flexibility: Most online courses are accessible 24/7, 365 days a year, so you can usually study around your work schedule from anywhere in the world. If you’re an older student juggling an education with other responsibilities, this flexibility is ideal. You can do your homework all at once or in nuggets between other obligations.

Often, you can study for a degree online at a pace that fits your lifestyle. You can take one or several courses per semester or enroll in an online program with shorter terms that make it easier to concentrate on one course at a time.

Recognizing that many prospective online students have already earned some credits toward their bachelor’s degree, programs might provide transfer credits or credits for life or work experience. Some programs also allow you to test out of certain courses.

2. Learning new skills and improving existing ones: Completing online courses from home or your desk at work can help you develop new skills to boost your earning potential.

If you were hired straight out of high school, you may find you need a college degree to move into management. Or you may simply want to improve or refresh the skills you already have, or learn job-specific skills to meet the changing needs of your profession.

Many companies will pay partial tuition for job-related courses that expand your knowledge base. If technology has been changing the way your industry functions, for instance, your employer might greatly value online courses that help you keep up with your field.

3. Instant relevance to your job: You may be surprised by how much more you enjoy your classes than you did when you were younger because in many online courses, you will find other working adults who you can network with and discuss recent experiences.

Online education is more practical because you can relate what you learn to the job you do every day and improve your job performance. You will also be able to make classes more interesting for other students by sharing relevant work-related examples in online discussion boards, for example.

[Explore ways to interact with classmates and professors in online classes.]

4. New career opportunities: You may want to take online courses to round out your resume so you can compete for completely new positions with your current employer or at another organization. Earning a degree or advanced certificate online can be a great way to reinvent yourself if you are looking to change careers.

The takeaway: Online courses can provide real value to working adults because they are flexible and can help build the knowledge needed to get ahead while networking with others in similar positions.
Source taken by/usnews.com

]]>http://allviralnews.club/?feed=rss2&p=220How to Tell if an Online Program Is Accreditedhttp://allviralnews.club/?p=20
http://allviralnews.club/?p=20#respondMon, 25 Dec 2017 17:02:52 +0000http://bad-drivers.club/?p=20Back when Lauren Marrett wanted to be an art major, she didn’t care much about whether her school was accredited or by whom.
It was the quality of her art portfolio that mattered, she thought, not the reputation of her college.
She enrolled in a for-profit online college lacking regional accreditation. But six months into her schooling, she started to get nervous about how employers would view her school.
“I started to think, ‘Art is a competitive field and I need a backup plan,'” says the 23-year-old, who eventually transferred to the University of Illinois—Springfield, a college with solid academic credentials. “I wanted to go online and have it be a legitimate school.”
With a little bit of Google research, Marrett got to the bottom of a problem that plagues many online students: how to determine whether a school has recognized accreditation – verification by an outside, legitimate authority that a college or university provides an education that meets certain standards.
Discovering whether your school has a stamp of approval can be a painstaking process, but it’s an important one, experts say. Many colleges and universities won’t accept transfer credits from schools without recognized accreditation and employers often won’t pay for their employees to attend them.
“When searching for a university that offers online courses, students must inquire about accreditation,” says Susan Aldridge, a senior fellow at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. “Accreditation doesn’t guarantee quality, but does provide more assurance that there is oversight regarding the instruction and their authority to issue degrees.”
During the typical accreditation process, a nongovernmental body conducts reviews and site visits to assess faculty, student support services, finance and facilities, curricula and other factors. There are so many so-called “accreditation mills” – groups that will accredit schools using minimum standards – out on the Internet that it can be particularly easy for online students to get involved with schools that lack legitimacy, experts say.
“They have very misleading names. They sound like they are these wonderful institutions but they are not,” says Judith S. Eaton, president of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or CHEA. “This is especially a problem for international students. We take our complex higher education system for granted. Someone will see something called ‘U.S. University’ and assume it’s okay, but it’s not. It’s just a degree.”
To see whether an accrediting agency is legitimate, students should check to see if it’s recognized either by the council or the U.S. Department of Education.
Both groups investigate accreditors to ensure they are using appropriate standards when they are evaluating schools. But students can only receive federal student aid from schools accredited by agencies recognized by the U.S. government.
The council, a private sector group, publishes a list of accrediting organizations recognized by both it and the federal government.
The federal government recognizes seven regional accreditors, which evaluate schools in certain parts of the country, while the council recognizes six.
Both groups also recognize fewer than a dozen national accreditors, such as the Association for Biblical Higher Education Commission on Accreditation and the Distance Education and Training Council Accrediting Commission, which evaluate faith-based schools or career-oriented programs. Many religious institutions have regional accreditation as well.
Students who take courses from nationally accredited universities may have difficulty transferring their credits to regionally accredited schools, since most regionally accredited universities do not accept transfer credits from those schools, according to Aldridge.
“State universities and private nonprofit universities are regionally accredited,” says Aldridge. “This is the most desirable accreditation because students taking courses at one regionally accredited university will be more likely to transfer their credits to another similar institution.”
Students should also check the council’s list to see whether reputable professional associations accredit their specific program, says Russell Poulin, deputy director of research and analysis for WCET, which advocates for effective technology use in higher education.
Industry groups such as the American Bar Association, the American Dental Association and others offer specialized accreditation for individual programs, he says.
If students don’t check their programmatic accreditation, he says they run the risk of not getting hired after graduation.
Finally, online students should beware of schools touting “international accreditation,” since the council and the federal government don’t recognize any international accrediting bodies, Eaton says.
Schools often list accreditation on their websites. If they don’t list their credentials, experts suggest students call and ask.
“I think the information is there, you just have to have the motivation to go find it and back yourself up,” says Marrett, the University of Illinois—Springfield student. “You don’t want to walk into a job interview and get laughed out of the room because you went to a joke of a school.”
Trying to fund your online education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for Online Education center.
source usnews.com
]]>http://allviralnews.club/?feed=rss2&p=200A Week in the Life of a Working Online MBA Studenthttp://allviralnews.club/?p=18
http://allviralnews.club/?p=18#respondMon, 25 Dec 2017 17:02:24 +0000http://bad-drivers.club/?p=18By day, Quinn Woodard Jr. is an electrical engineer at Chevron Corp. By night, he’s an online student pursuing his MBA at the Indiana University—Bloomington Kelley School of Business, hoping to accelerate his career and develop new skills.
The Bakersfield, California, resident usually wakes around 5 or 5:30 a.m. and prepares to head to the office or drive to the site he’s assigned that day. Woodard doesn’t have much time to study during the morning or afternoon – that’s typically reserved for after work a few evenings each week.
When he returns home, Woodard might attend a live class session through videoconferencing, work on group projects virtually with classmates or complete other assignments.
“I go pretty late sometimes, just depending on when things are due,” says the 28-year-old, who also plans to earn a master’s in entrepreneurship and innovation through a dual degree program at Kelley. “And then I kind of recycle for the rest of the week and plan out what I have to do.”
Currently juggling two classes, Woodard devotes several hours on weekends to catching up on reading.
For online MBA students, juggling a full-time job and an education is typical given the flexibility of online education, experts say. Many select this route to either move up in their field or change careers.
William Christiansen, MBA program director and finance chair at Florida State University, which offers an online program, says because online MBA students come from various backgrounds, including business, their familiarity with different course subjects varies. That influences how much time they devote each week to classes.
“Time management is the key to success with this,” says Tara Lall, an online MBA student at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. “And I think that looks very different for everybody.”
Regardless, prospective online students shouldn’t expect a light course load. Sherry Dunbar, an online MBA student at the University of Maryland Smith School of Business and a senior director of global scientific affairs at the biotechnology engineering company Luminex Corp, spends at least 20 hours a week on her program, she says.
Many online MBA students say they adhere to strict weekly calendars – especially if they travel for work, as many do. Take 35-year-old Diana Sharpe, an online MBA student at FSU. As a business development manager for L’Oreal, Sharpe often meets customers over a 180-mile span from morning through dinnertime.
Enrolled in one course this semester, Sharpe typically blocks off a night or two each week to study at the local library or in her hotel, she says – plus at least half a day most weekends, depending on her workload. She also sections off time to spend with her three-year-old daughter.
“I could easily be dropping the ball on any one – either family, or coursework, or work,” she says. “But when I dedicate specific hours to each, I find it just much more manageable and easier to be 100 percent dedicated to what I’m doing at the time.”
That’s simpler to do in certain situations than others, online students say. Lall, the USC student, says that by juggling her education with a full-time job in applications marketing, she didn’t have much time to exercise – so she purchased a stationary bike desk to use while watching recorded lectures.
Whether an online MBA program requires students to virtually attend classes at predesignated times varies with the program, experts say – something to consider when looking into an option’s flexibility.
Sharpe, for instance, transferred from an online program that had such requirements, to FSU, which was more self-paced and worked better for her schedule, she says.
Despite their busy lives, many online MBA students still find time to network with classmates – a crucial step to build a business career. Lauren Crawley, an online student pursuing an MBA and a master’s in business analytics in a dual degree program at Kelley, says some online student groups hold regular networking events; one geared toward women in business, for example, is hosting a virtual happy hour.
“It’s just an integrated, regular part of daily life,” the 30-year-old says of networking.
Many programs also have in-person requirements or opportunities to travel – another factor a prospective student should consider, experts say. Woodard, the Kelley student, studied business in Cuba.
Dunbar, the Maryland student, says she used vacation time at work to attend a three-day residency on campus. Students participate in community-building activities and complete an introductory course.
She also says what she learns each week in class is almost instantly applicable to her job, and vice versa.
“It’s kind of uncanny that something will come up in a meeting at work, and then we end up discussing that in class the next night,” she says.
Trying to fund your online education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for Online Education center.
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]]>http://allviralnews.club/?feed=rss2&p=180Tips for Using Student Loans for Online Educationhttp://allviralnews.club/?p=16
http://allviralnews.club/?p=16#respondMon, 25 Dec 2017 17:02:00 +0000http://bad-drivers.club/?p=16Student Loan Ranger, currently authored by American Student Assistance®, helps prospective and current students and recent graduates make sense of borrowing options, student debt and loan repayment. The national nonprofit also runs SALT®, a free educational resource that provides personalized tools to help higher education consumers borrow and repay their loans in a way that works for them. The organization’s e-book, “100+ Ways to Get Rid of Student Loans (Without Paying Them),” offers guidance on the options that may forgive, discharge or pay for all or a portion of a borrower’s student loans. Got a question? Email studentloanranger@usnews.com.
You’ve seen the ads on television encouraging students to get a degree online, work at their own pace and save time and money. For some students, online courses are a great way to earn a degree or certificate, especially if their work or family schedules make it difficult to commit to a class that’s held at the same time every week.
But just like choosing a traditional brick-and-mortar college, choosing an online program means doing your homework before starting classes, including making sure you know how to pay for them.​
Studies show that the number of students who complete, or graduate, from their online degree or certificate program is lower than those who enroll in traditional college courses. But while you might not finish your degree, the student loan debt will remain, as well as a higher risk of default.​
In many cases – but not always – an online program may be a cheaper alternative to obtaining a degree at a school’s physical campus. Just as with any big purchase, it’s important to shop around to see which school offers the best value for the credential you are seeking. The luxury of online learning options is that the location of the institution is no longer a restriction to the choices available.
While you can obtain federal financial aid for many online education programs, there are some restrictions. The most significant restriction is attending a school outside the U.S. While you can obtain federal student loans to attend some foreign schools, regulations do not allow any part of that program to be online, even if it’s just a single class.
If you do need to dip into federal or other financial aid resources to afford college, it’s all the more important to ensure the quality of the program is high. Ensuring the program has been accredited by recognized regional or national accreditors is one way to verify that the program meets at least minimum standards – and increases the chances of your credits being transferable if you should decide to attend a different school midway through. Some schools are starting to refuse to accept online transfer credits, regardless of accreditation, due to what they say is low standards in some online programs.
It’s also important to note that you must be enrolled at an accredited institution to receive federal financial aid and most other state and private aid. Your schools should be able to tell you right away if they are accredited and if so by whom.
Online education may also offer a higher risk of overborrowing than a traditional program. Even though your tuition and fees may not be any cheaper, the remainder of your cost of attendance should be significantly cheaper as you won’t be incurring additional transportation or room and board expenses than you had prior to enrolling in school.
While that is usually the case, schools are required to offer similar cost of attendance totals to online students as they do to students attending the same program on campus, which means a high possibility of being offered more loan funds than you’ll need to pay the cost of the program. While it can be tempting to hang on to those extra funds, they can add up quickly to a higher student loan debt than you expected.
The Department of Education’s College Navigator is a great tool to help consumers evaluate all these traits as they research online programs. The site includes statistics on a school’s graduation rate, debt level, student loan default rates and net cost, among other items, and can be valuable for comparing schools and their online – and other – offerings.
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